Featuring guest Dr. Deanna Minich

Episode 11 – airs October 2nd, 2025

Discover how eating the rainbow can support your brain, heart, and overall vitality in this delightful episode featuring Dr. Deanna Minich, an internationally-recognized teacher, author, scientist, speaker, and artist. Host Dr. Daina Parent, ND, guides an engaging conversation with Dr. Minich about phytochemicals in whole foods, especially those found in a spectrum of red and purple foods.

The conversation explores the how, when, and why of eating a diverse, colorful diet, the importance of eating seasonally and locally, and the unique ways phytochemicals influence cardiovascular, neurological, and musculoskeletal health. Dr. Minich also shares insights from her latest book, The Rainbow Diet and previews her upcoming keynote at the Whole Systems Symposium.

With more than 20 years of experience spanning clinical practice, product formulation, research, and education, Dr. Minich brings both scientific depth and a creative perspective to food as medicine.

Use the audio player above to listen now! And don’t forget to follow and like our podcast channel to stay up-to-date on upcoming episodes.

Highlights of the episode include:

• Spectrum of red foods – deep purple to pink phytonutrients
• Heart health – betalains and expansion of blood vessels
• Beets as a top nitrate containing food
• Red as connected to muscle, longevity, and vasculature
• Deanna as Keynote Speaker at the Whole Systems Nutrition Symposium on October 24^th – addressing soil health and modern nutrition challenges

Podcast Summary

• 2:11 New edition of The Rainbow Diet book
• 3:43 What, Why, How and When to eat more whole foods
• 6:28 Colorful foods for colorful moods – beyond chronic disease prevention, phytochemicals support mental health
• 8:07 Purple and red foods with polyphenols to benefit the Gut-Brain Axis
• 11:20 Eating with the seasons
• 13:10 Health benefits of red food phytochemicals – polyphenols and nitrates
• 14:37 How color informs us – the world around us and within; the color red as connected to adrenals, stress response, blood, inflammatory immune response, and more
• 18:28 Red has two sides – certain red foods are high histamine or inflammatory (nightshades, strawberries, etc.); other red foods are less inflammatory and offer powerful phytochemicals
• 22:09 Spectrum of red foods – deep purple to pink phytonutrients
• 24:34 Health benefits of phytochemicals in beets when using the whole plant – beet greens, stalks and beetroot
• 28:01 Heart health – betalains and expansion of blood vessels
• 29:08 Beets as a top nitrate containing food
• 30:56 Gut health and it’s impact on converting nitrates to nitric oxide; importance of nitric oxide in vasodilation and heart health
• 35:47 Bloodflow as it connects to parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems, and brain health
• 38:11 Red as connected to muscle, longevity, and vasculature
• 43:01 Incorporating a variety of red foods to benefit from a diverse group of phytochemicals
• 47:10 Dr. Deanna Minich as Keynote Speaker at Whole Systems Symposium Virtual Symposium on October 24^th – Dr. Minich’s talk is called Eating by Nature’s Principles: Color, Creativity, Diversity, and Rhythm
• 52:30 Educational resources and Events from Dr. Minich

This podcast is sponsored by Standard Process

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